About Me

This blog is my blissful journal of happiness. It’s about everything I adore and people I love. Thanks for stopping by. If you would like to write me, please feel free to email me: diana.mieczan@hotmail.comHave a jolly good day!

Cheers to the last January weekend! How are you spending it? Tonight, I’m going for a swim and a massage while Balazs works late, and tomorrow I’m planning to dive into those cookbooks and make a list of every recipe I want to try! Btw: what is your go-to cookbook for weeknight meals? Wishing everyone an awesome weekend and I’ll see you back here on Monday morning – as always! But for now, fancy going down the internet rabbit hole? Enjoy!

And a little note to all the readers who follow exPress-o with GFC. Google is making some changes to GFC, so if you're a non-Google account follower, you might want to change or update the way you follow your favourite blogs to not miss out on daily updates.
One way to do it is by re-following the blog using a Google account, but if you don't have one, you can continue to (or start to) follow exPress-o via any other social media platform likeFeedly, Bloglovin, Feedburner, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Or if you're 'old school', you can also sign up to our daily email subscription :)

And while we are on the subject of home indulgences, do you own a Himalayan salt lamp? If you don't, you are missing out big time :)

Years ago a friend got us one as a gift and it quickly became one of our favourite possessions. It not only gives the most wonderful warm glow, but it also has some amazing healing properties. It’s known to cleanse the air while removing microscopic particles of dust and all things bad from your space, making it all fresh again. It's beneficial for people with allergies and helps to relax and unwind. But my favourite thing about it is that by generating negative ions, it has this awesome power to improve mood and help with getting rid of winter blues. It's a keeper! Thoughts?

Do you ever treat your home to something small, yet totally wonderful?

I find that treating yourself to little indulgences is rather needed, even for a self-proclaimed minimalist like yours truly. It probably shouldn’t happen every single day, but once or twice a month it’s good to buy something that will make you feel jolly.

Since I work from home, I have this thing of rewarding my flat (and indirectly myself) to tiny little treats after a well done project. I also use the same approach on days when I have the hardest time concentrating. On those occasions, I’ll set myself a goal of how much work I need to finish before popping down to the florist to pick up a bunch of flowers or hunt down a new natural soap I’ve wanted to buy forever!

Blimey, melted mozzarella mixed with roasted tomatoes, a dash of garlic and fresh basil all between two crisp pieces of sourdough bread - dinner simplicity at its finest. It was so good that I’m planning to make it again tonight. Are you with me? Here is the full how-to.

Winter has the ability to put a gloomy spin on our mind-set. So, in hopes to add a bit of freshness or magic to those dark and freezing short days, Balazs and I’ve been incorporating a few little things into our routines that make all the difference.
For example, since we mostly cook meals at home during winter, we found that setting the table with simple linen napkins and lighting a candle or two makes the rather monotonic routine of meal making and eating more pleasant and somewhat special. I got into it so much that I even started to make time during the day to actually sit down at the table to have a cup of coffee with an avocado toast instead of rushing off, and just enjoying the simple yet relaxed atmosphere the candle and the napkin creates. It’s the little things, isn't it?

Do you have any tried and tested everyday tweaks that you'd like to share?

What’s your take on the whole natural versus conventional antiperspirants debate? I’m firmly on the organic side, yet I’m unwilling to compromise on my personal hygiene. So, I’ve been trying a few different natural options and this one is my favourite by a mile! Having said that, I’m also intrigued by Sarah’s homemade version that is incredibly nifty, pure and somewhat special. Here is a full how-to if you fancy trying yourself.

Today didn’t go to plan for me, so instead of beating myself up about it, first I went for a walk and then I got utterly lost in those amazing photos by Laurent Nivalle. This brilliant French art director has such an eye for finding new ways to make NYC look even more breath-taking than it already is. Anyway, how is your day so far?

In the last couple of weeks I've realized that a cheery, bright and snug beanie is a must during winter! I usually go for a safe navy-blue or black colour beanies, but last Christmas I got this orange one as a gift and I haven’t parted with it ever since.

It adds a great pop of colour to my rather plain winter coat uniform, making it look instantly jazzier and snazzier than it actually is. Plus, I love how each time I pass by a shop window, I catch a glimpse of it!

What do you think? Are you brave enough for a winter hat with a pop of colour?

Joanne Laurie from London
Claudine from the Betafo District of Madagascar
Katy Shaw from Melbourne
Ellen from Malawi
Deanna Neiers from New YorkHazel Shandumba from Hamakando Village in Zambia
Agnes Noti from Tanzania
Blimey! Recently seven women from around the world where asked by WaterAid to reveal the essentials they will need when giving birth and the contrast is eye opening, to say the least!

This little project shows how the notion of ‘essential’ changes enormously depending on where the mom-to-be lives. For example women in Africa pack a razor to cut the umbilical cord and a plastic sheet to give birth on, while women in the Western world pack things like massage oils and books. I love projects that show how people live and what’s considered normal or essential for them. Thoughts?

If you need a bit of convincing to get on the yoga-wagon, those photos above might just sway you. Kristina Kashtanova is a London based photographer with a passion for yoga, so she created a series of images, where yogis strut their stuff in the most amazing parts of London and New York City.